Anthony Davis

The defense contends that the two South Philadelphia men on trial in connection with a fatal shooting near the Palestra after last year's Public League basketball championship were at the scene but were not the gunmen. The prosecution says Kyle McLemore and Nathaniel Ortiz are cold-blooded killers who waited for Anthony "Tupac" Davis to leave the March 1 game, and then killed Davis as hundreds of terrified spectators scurried for cover. Those arguments lie at the heart of this murder trial, which began Monday and featured final arguments yesterday by a prosecutor and defense attorneys.

Rutgers true freshman offensive guard Anthony Davis has been named a first-team freshman all-American by rivals.com and a second-team freshman all-America selection by scout.com. Davis has played in all 11 games for the Scarlet Knights, including six straight starts at right guard. In his six games starting at right guard, Rutgers has averaged 210.7 rushing yards per game. Davis has yet to allow a sack this season. Davis and the Scarlet Knights finish the regular season tonight at Louisville.

We have to admit we'd rather be in New Orleans dealing with late interviews and overhyped fans and crazy deadlines and the fact that CBS can't be on time for a first-game tipoff that the network itself scheduled for 6:09 p.m. but actually happened at 6:14 (did you really have to run a commercial between the national anthem and the player introductions?). But if you have to be home watching game action sprinkled among the ads, there's nothing better than following along on Twitter as Kentucky's Anthony Davis shows in no uncertain terms why he is college basketball's player of the year and the absolute mortal lock No. 1 pick in the next NBA draft.

CLEVELAND - Cavaliers guard and Philadelphia native Dion Waiters has been named to the NBA all-rookie first team and forward/center Tyler Zeller to the second team. Waiters, the No. 4 overall selection out of Syracuse University in last year's draft, averaged 14.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists this season. Among all rookies, he ranked second in points, fourth in assists and fourth in steals per game. Waiters was joined on the first team by Portland's Damian Lillard, the league's rookie of the year, Washington's Bradley Beal, New Orleans' Anthony Davis and Golden State's Harrison Barnes.

An affidavit filed in a slander suit against Syracuse University and basketball coach Jim Boeheim says the wife of fired assistant Bernie Fine had sex with players, and several people associated with the program knew about it, including Fine. In the affidavit, Bobby Davis, a former ball boy with the team, says he was present on several occasions with basketball players when he heard them speaking of having sex with Laurie Fine. Davis said players joked about it and it seemed to be an openly known fact that she had sex with players.

On Tuesday, the 76ers began a stretch in which they will play 11 of their next 12 games at home against a mix of some of the best and worst teams in the league. There are six games against losing teams (New Orleans, Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Orlando, and Charlotte) that before Tuesday's games had a combined record of 68-153. They are even worse on the road (24-83). Washington, just 1-15 away from the Verizon Center this season, is the worst. The other group (San Antonio, New York, Memphis, and the Los Angeles Clippers)

NATE ROBINSON scored a season-high 35 points and the Chicago Bulls stopped another lengthy winning streak, rallying to beat New York, 118-111, in overtime Thursday and end the Knicks' 13-game run. Robinson came up big down the stretch, scoring eight points in the extra period. Jimmy Butler added 22 points, Luol Deng scored 16, and the Bulls busted a long streak for the second time in about a 2-week span, ending the Miami Heat's 27-game run - the second-longest in NBA history - on March 27. Carmelo Anthony made two free throws with 14 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime, but things unraveled for the Knicks in the extra session, when they were outscored, 13-6.

NEW ORLEANS - It was the battle for Kentucky in the first semifinal game at the Final Four on Saturday evening, and Louisville found itself in the unenviable position of having won a majority of the skirmishes but still having lost the war. Nobody comes to the Final Four just to have the I-64 corridor between Lexington and Louisville renamed the Nice Try Boulevard, but that was all the satisfaction the Cardinals would take away from their showdown...

ANTHONY DAVIS has a left ankle sprain that must be evaluated later this week before he can be cleared to practice with the U.S. team. Davis hurt his ankle at the team's training center on Saturday, and a New Orleans Hornets spokesman said on Monday that the club considers Davis' status for resuming training as day-to-day. The 6-11 Davis, who led the nation with 4.65 blocks per game while leading Kentucky to a national title, is among the players being considered for the American squad at the London Olympics.

CARMELO ANTHONY scored 29 points and the visiting New York Knicks extended the undermanned New Orleans Hornets' losing streak to four games with a 102-80 victory Tuesday night. Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith each added 15 points. Felton scored all of his points on five three-pointers as New York hit 14 treys as a team. Tyson Chandler grabbed 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who've won two straight since their first loss of the season and are 8-1 for only the third time in franchise history.

CLEVELAND - Cavaliers guard and Philadelphia native Dion Waiters has been named to the NBA all-rookie first team and forward/center Tyler Zeller to the second team. Waiters, the No. 4 overall selection out of Syracuse University in last year's draft, averaged 14.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists this season. Among all rookies, he ranked second in points, fourth in assists and fourth in steals per game. Waiters was joined on the first team by Portland's Damian Lillard, the league's rookie of the year, Washington's Bradley Beal, New Orleans' Anthony Davis and Golden State's Harrison Barnes.

NATE ROBINSON scored a season-high 35 points and the Chicago Bulls stopped another lengthy winning streak, rallying to beat New York, 118-111, in overtime Thursday and end the Knicks' 13-game run. Robinson came up big down the stretch, scoring eight points in the extra period. Jimmy Butler added 22 points, Luol Deng scored 16, and the Bulls busted a long streak for the second time in about a 2-week span, ending the Miami Heat's 27-game run - the second-longest in NBA history - on March 27. Carmelo Anthony made two free throws with 14 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime, but things unraveled for the Knicks in the extra session, when they were outscored, 13-6.

CARMELO ANTHONY tripped, stumbled and fell. The New York Knicks picked themselves up and won without him. Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points, J.R. Smith added 18 and the Knicks overcame a 22-point deficit and the loss of Anthony, their All-Star forward who went out with a knee injury in the first half, to beat the Cavaliers, 102-97, on Monday night and end a 10-game losing streak in Cleveland. The Knicks trailed 52-30 in the second quarter when Anthony got twisted up after catching a pass near midcourt and dropped to the floor.

On Tuesday, the 76ers began a stretch in which they will play 11 of their next 12 games at home against a mix of some of the best and worst teams in the league. There are six games against losing teams (New Orleans, Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Orlando, and Charlotte) that before Tuesday's games had a combined record of 68-153. They are even worse on the road (24-83). Washington, just 1-15 away from the Verizon Center this season, is the worst. The other group (San Antonio, New York, Memphis, and the Los Angeles Clippers)

CARMELO ANTHONY scored 29 points and the visiting New York Knicks extended the undermanned New Orleans Hornets' losing streak to four games with a 102-80 victory Tuesday night. Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith each added 15 points. Felton scored all of his points on five three-pointers as New York hit 14 treys as a team. Tyson Chandler grabbed 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who've won two straight since their first loss of the season and are 8-1 for only the third time in franchise history.

NEW ORLEANS - The 76ers were without swingman Jason Richardson and center Kwame Brown for Wednesday's game against the New Orleans Hornets, and that might not change for at least the remainder of this three-game road trip. Coach Doug Collins said Brown, who aggravated a calf strain Monday, would almost certainly not be ready to play in Boston on Friday night or in Toronto on Saturday night. "His calf is as large as a grapefruit," Collins said. Richardson, who sprained his left ankle on Sunday, is making more progress, but a return against Boston would be unlikely as well.

ANTHONY DAVIS has a left ankle sprain that must be evaluated later this week before he can be cleared to practice with the U.S. team. Davis hurt his ankle at the team's training center on Saturday, and a New Orleans Hornets spokesman said on Monday that the club considers Davis' status for resuming training as day-to-day. The 6-11 Davis, who led the nation with 4.65 blocks per game while leading Kentucky to a national title, is among the players being considered for the American squad at the London Olympics.

AS THE final seconds of Kentucky's national championship ticked away in New Orleans, I caught myself wondering how good this team might have become in a different time. Can you imagine Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as seniors or even juniors? UK was not that far away from an unbeaten season with two freshmen stars. I get that it is not reality and never will be again. Still, dreaming remains legal. It is also fair to say it is much easier to win in this era, because so few teams have veteran NBA-level talent.

Former Kentucky star Anthony Davis, likely to be the No. 1 pick in Thursday's NBA draft, already is preparing for his professional career. Davis, known for his connected eyebrows, trademarked the phrases "Fear The Brow" and "Raise The Brow" earlier this month. Davis recently signed with Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group to represent him. Former William and Mary assistant Meg Barber joined the Temple women's basketball staff. She replaced Dan Durkin, who took an assistant's job at Providence.

NEW ORLEANS - They could have started to play "My Old Kentucky Home" way early last night. Ashley Judd could have turned to Jay-Z and planned the after-party in the first half. What Kentucky did not dunk, it blocked. What the Wildcats did not affect, they at least sent a signal that trouble was looming. Kansas coach Bill Self had a resigned look on his face way before halftime. He had stolen his championship against John Calipari's Memphis team 4 years before. He would always have that.